Wyoming Special Licenses. Plus, An Update On SW Trophy Hunts

Published: April - 2007

I've told you before about those Special Licenses given to each of Wyoming's seven Game & Fish Commissioners each year. These are antelope, deer and elk licenses, which the commissioners hand off to charitable organizations. They are similar to Governor's Licenses, only Commissioner Complimentary Licenses allow the license holder to hunt only one region or hunt area of their choosing throughout all legal seasons. Governor's Licenses allow a hunter to hunt any area, with few exceptions, during any legal season.

These licenses are generally auctioned, or raffled off, by organizations in late winter and early spring. Often, they are only advertised locally, which means they don't get a lot of bidding pressure. Some very attractive opportunities often emerge. Rather than try to list all these licenses in the newsletter, the editor of this publication has posted them to The Hunting Report web site, www.huntingreport.com. Look for the title, Special Licenses Available under Web Site Updates.

It can take a while to go through the whole list and figure out what you want to pursue. If an elk license is what you want, here is a tip: Outfitter Dave Segall of K Bar Z Ranch and Outfitters tells me he knows how to get several Commissioners Licenses for even less than they typically go for at auction. Interested hunters can use these licenses on one of Segall's late-season trophy elk hunts in Unit 51. These hunts take place when the bulls are migrating out of Yellowstone National Park.

Unit 51 is located on the east side of the park, in the Shoshone National Forest. The elk normally migrate through here during the last part of November and first part of December, depending on the winter storms. It is a great opportunity to kill a trophy bull scoring 350 points or better. Segall's three clients last year killed bulls ranging up to 370 points, and a friend of mine killed a bull there netting 382 points several years ago. Segall's seven-day horseback hunt costs $4,750. Clients stay either at his lodge in comfortable private log........(continued)